


The Asset

by Persiflage



Series: AoS Alternate Endings [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, F/M, Frottage, Kissing, Older Man/Younger Woman, POV Phil Coulson, Training, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 08:42:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3321053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coulson encourages Skye to relax as well as train hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Asset

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tayryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayryn/gifts).



> A bit of the opening dialogue in this fic is taken from the final scene of the episode. But I've amended it, and switched Ward for Coulson.

After ensuring that the Gravitonium was safely secured at the Sandbox, Coulson went to find Skye. He wanted to congratulate her on her first solo mission, and a very successful one at that. Searching for her, he was surprised to find she wasn't in the lounge with the others, who were all busy winding down quite happily, nor was she in her bunk. He was just about to ask if anyone had see her when he caught the sound of rhythmic thumps, so he made his way towards the stairs to the cargo bay.

Skye was dressed for training and punching the bag Ward had set up. He leaned on the railing of the walkway for a few minutes, watching her, then decided to go down and see if he could get her to come and relax with everyone else.

"Hey," he said, walking towards her ."You could give that a rest for this evening, you know. Come upstairs and relax with the others."

She'd glanced at him when he first started speaking, but she'd almost immediately resumed punching the bag.

"Skye?"

"First time I really wanted something, wanted to belong somewhere, I was nine." She moved away from the bag to walk over to where she'd left a bottle of water, and he watched as she cracked the top and took a long swallow. Her expression was very intense, fierce even, and he wondered just how hard Ward had been on her before, that she felt she was supposed to train at all hours.

"Foster parents?" he asked. He wasn't sure where she was going with this, but he wasn't about to shut her down if she needed to talk.

"The Brodys," she told him, before swallowing more water. "They sent me back to St Agnes after a month. Said I wasn't a good fit."

"Your first family?" he guessed.

"My third," she said flatly. "I had heard it before, but this one was different."

Coulson watched as she adjusted the bandage on her right hand. He felt as if he might cry, her face and tone were so bleak, and he had to swallow a lump in his throat before he could speak. "Because you wanted them to like you," he said.

Skye nodded. "Bad," she agreed, returning to the punching bag. "I called her 'mom' once. Tried it out." She sighed, and Coulson felt a tightness in his chest in sympathy with her remembered misery. "Guess it wasn't a good fit."

She resumed punching the bag, and he moved towards it. She glanced past the bag to meet his eyes, her expression fierce. "Hoping for something and losing it hurts more than never hoping for anything."

Coulson grabbed the bag to hold it steady for her. "You can have this, Skye, if that's what you want." He raised his eyebrows and she gave a quick nod, her expression still fierce. 

"Bad," she told him. "I've made my choice. I'm ready to commit."

"That's good to hear," he told her, "but you still shouldn't train too hard." He moved around the bag and touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Rest and recreation are also important."

She shrugged her shoulders, incidentally dislodging his hand. "I don't want to let anyone down. I don't want to let _you_ down. I know how much May and Ward opposed you sending me in to Quinn's party."

"They did, but you got the job done, and you did it well, so they know that I was right to let you go." He rubbed at his face. "I understand what drives you to do this to the best of your abilities, but I will be disappointed if you burn yourself out so that I can't send you on a mission that needs your particular skillset. Does that make sense?"

She lifted her head, her dark eyes looking suspiciously wet, and her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "Okay."

He hid his relief, instead giving her a nod. "Why don't you get cleaned up, and then come and have dinner with me in my office, and we can discuss what other training you want or need to do. Because it's not all punching bags." He smirked. "We seldom meet a punching bag out on the field."

Skye rolled her eyes, a smile teasing her mouth, then she aimed a punch at him. Coulson laughed and caught hold of her wrist, then pivoted her around so that she ended up trapped against his chest, both his arms wrapped around her.

She went very still and he wondered if he'd upset her, or, even worse, triggered a bad memory, but before he'd even finished thinking that, her arms settled over his and she leaned back into him a little.

"I don't know that move," she said quietly. "Will you show me how to do it, sometime?"

"Tomorrow," he said, and made himself unfold his arms before he did something he shouldn't. Holding Skye in his arms felt far too comfortable, and he was aware that his body was having a boringly predictable response.

"Thanks." She turned around and gave him a dazzling smile, then moved away to grab her bottle of water, and as soon as her back was turned, he quickly adjusted himself so it wouldn't be obvious he was sporting a hard-on.

They moved towards the stairs, and he asked, "What do you want for dinner?"

She shook her head, then reached up to unfasten the tie keeping her ponytail in place. "I don't mind."

He frowned, wondering if she really didn't mind, or if she was just being accommodating, but he decided not to press the issue now.

"Anything you hate?"

She chuckled. "Nah, I'm good."

"I'll surprise you then," he said, smirking.

She grinned. "I'd like that."

AC-S-AC-S-AC

The following morning, after Ward had finished his usual training session with Skye and gone to shower and change, Coulson made his way down to the cargo hold. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt for this; he was looking forward to teaching Skye some new moves. 

They hauled out two mats which they spread out at the top of the cargo bay ramp, then met in the middle.

"I hope you're not gonna kick my ass too hard," Skye said.

He smirked. "I'm flattered that you think me capable of ass-kicking."

She snorted. "Please. You're a field agent, even if you do spend a lot of time sitting behind a desk. I bet you're just as capable of ass-kicking as May and Ward."

"Come on then," he said, beckoning her forward. "Let's find out. I'll show you my moves."

Her eyes widened at his words and he could've bitten his tongue out as he registered just how that sounded, but Skye's giggle made him feel a little less embarrassed.

She moved to stand in front of him, facing him, then said, "Come on then, Coulson, show me your moves." He voice was low and her tone sultry.

"Skye," he said warningly.

"Sorry." She bit her lip. "But you started it."

He rolled his eyes. "Even so."

She stepped in close and he began by showing her the move he'd used on her the night before. Once she'd mastered that he showed her a few more – moves she wouldn't need Ward's height or bulk to carry out, and he could see she appreciated that he'd taken that into consideration.

"Someone's who's not tall and bulky, like you, needs to use all their assets when dealing with bad guys," he told her.

She frowned. "What assets?"

"Well, you're lighter than most men, which gives you more speed. Never be afraid to run away from the bad guys – after all, you're not a Specialist, so there's no shame in running away."

"What else?"

"You can think fast on your feet. When Quinn caught you in the corridor of his villa you used the fact that he'd spoken negatively about SHIELD to lure him in, make him think you sympathised with him. Being able to react quickly is a very useful talent to have out in the field. It could save more lives than just yours."

He got her to try out several of the new moves he'd shown her, and she proved that she was a quick learner, especially when she managed to bring him down, leaving him sprawled breathlessly underneath her on the mats. She lay on top of him, chuckling at his surprise, and the fact that she'd winded him, and he felt a surge of arousal jolt straight to his groin.

Skye's eyes widened as she became aware of his growing erection, but instead of bolting as he expected, she shifted her body against his, making them both moan quietly. Then her mouth was on his and although he knew he should stop her, he couldn't. Instead he opened his mouth, allowing her to probe it with her tongue, then groaning softly when she nipped at his bottom lip before laving it with her tongue.

"Fuck," he whispered, feeling his cock hardening further beneath her.

"Yeah." She pressed her body more firmly against his and he clutched her to him as she shamelessly ground her sex against him.

"Skye," he moaned. "Not here." He was panting and his heart was racing. "I don't want to come in my shorts."

She laughed breathlessly. "But we're gonna do this for real, right?"

"God, yes," he said quickly.

"Promise?"

"Promise," he said firmly, then added, "Someone's coming."

She sprang up, then offered Coulson her hands to help him up, and he chuckled, then used the fact that she was off-balance to land her on her back on the mats.

"Not fair!" she cried, and they both looked up when they heard May chuckling from the walkway above them. 

"You should know that Coulson always plays dirty," the older woman said. She looked at Coulson. "You've got a call."

He nodded, then helped Skye up and spoke quietly in her ear. "Later. I'll let you know when."

She nodded, then said, "Thank you," loudly enough for May to hear and think she was thanking him for helping her up. "I'd better get changed."

He followed Skye up the staircase, and heard May telling the younger woman that she knew some moves more suited to a woman than a man, if Skye was interested in learning them, to which the younger woman assented eagerly.

He smiled to himself at the conversation, pleased that May seemed to be beginning to accept Skye.

As he made his way to his office, Coulson couldn't help wondering if Skye would change her mind about being with him, and he resolved not to bring the matter up until she mentioned it. That would spare them both embarrassment if she had changed her mind by the time he saw her next.

He knew, of course, that he shouldn't really get intimately involved with her: even if she wasn't a proper SHIELD agent, he was technically her boss, but if she wanted him, he definitely wasn't going to reject her. They would just have to be very discreet – if May even suspected anything, she would kick Coulson's ass – but he wasn't a SHIELD agent for nothing, and he was sure he and Skye could be sneaky enough.

As he went to pick up his phone he decided that he was looking forward to sneaking around with Skye.


End file.
